Scottish firms' hiring intentions are predicted could rise to a “record high” later this year, according to a research compiled by accountants BDO.

Its latest Business Trends survey suggests Scottish companies will grow their workforce at higher than average rates in the coming three months.

The BDO Employment Index, which predicts quarterly hiring intentions, increased from 105.6 in April to 107.7 in May – just behind the peak score of 108.9 recorded in February 2007, which was the highest score recorded in the 22-year history of the survey.

The BDO report comes on the same day Bank of Scotland has also published its Report on Jobs survey for May which suggests the number of vacancies and appointments rose in May.

Bank of Scotland said there was a "sharp and accelerated increase in the number of people placed in permanent jobs" in Scotland in May, though the growth in appointments lagged the UK as a whole.

However, demand for both permanent and temporary staff improved in May, with rises recorded both in starting salaries and hourly rates paid to temporary workers.

Bank of Scotland also notes the rate of decline in the supply of candidates for permanent posts was "one of the fastest in the history of the survey", and the lack of available candidates was pushing up starting salaries.